Hey you, yes you. Have you ever made carnitas at home? If yes, good job. Gold star for you. Never stop. If no, you should definitely start today. Right now. Drop everything.
Why should you be making carnitas this very second?
Because they are SO GOOD, and you deserve good things. Crispy AND tender, with tons of flavor, they’ll knock your socks off. Because maybe you’re having some friends over, and they’re the ultimate party food since they look and taste like a million bucks but are impossible to screw up. Everyone will be SO impressed. Best of all, carnitas are made with pork shoulder roast which is super inexpensive, so you get a ton of really excellent food CHEAP.
If you’re not convinced by all that, there’s no hope left for you. Go eat some dry toast and be sad. ❤️
Slow Cooker Carnitas
I actually already have an excellent, easy recipe on the site for carnitas, but they’re cooked on the stove and require a bit of a time commitment that I know not everyone is willing or able to make. So I took that recipe and modified it to work in a slow cooker so you don’t have to babysit them for three hours, turning carnitas from a weekend project to an everyday sort of meal. And truly, once you try this recipe, you’ll be wanting to make it every day.
Ingredient Notes
Pork shoulder roast: The best cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder AKA pork butt AKA Boston butt because it is well-marbled with fat and cooks up incredibly tender with a long braise. Large onion: A yellow, white, or red onion all work here. Lime juice: Fresh or bottled lime juice works just fine. Chicken broth: You can use homemade chicken broth if you have it, but this will be just as good with the canned stuff.
How to Make Carnitas in a Slow Cooker
How to Make Crispy Pork
You have a couple of options for crisping up your pork. You can do it under the broiler or turn your oven temp way up and bake the shredded meat for about 30 minutes. Both ways have pros and cons, so the method you choose is really going to depend on how clean you want to keep your oven, how much of a hurry you’re in, and how crispy you want your meat.
Carnitas Broiler vs Oven
Broiler Pros: Broiling is way faster. Your carnitas will get crispy in less than 10 minutes, and it gets the edges and tops of the meat extra crispy with almost burnt bits that everyone will want to eat first. Cons: Broiling carnitas can be messy. Remaining fat in the meat pops quite a bit, and during one test batch, I opened the oven and had fat dripping from the oven ceiling. Also, under the broiler, only the tops and edges of the meat get crispy. Oven Pros: Less messy (though I still don’t recommend cleaning your oven right before making these). Pork will get much crispier all over. Cons: Takes three times as long and you won’t get those really crispy burnt edges like you would from the broiler. I use both methods depending what mood I’m in, sometimes I even combine them when I want extra crispy carnitas, so just experiment and see what works best for you.
What to Make with Carnitas
4 pounds of (deboned and trimmed of fat) meat will make a little less than 10 cups of cooked carnitas. That’s a lot of meat to make into a lot of good things. My favorite way to eat carnitas is picked hot off the tray, but they are absolutely stellar used in:
Burrito Bowls with Cilantro Lime Rice Carnitas Enchiladas Carnitas Tacos Carnitas Nacho Fries Burritos
Also, if you’re low-carb or keto, a bowl of carnitas, some Pico de Gallo, cheese, sour cream, and a little hot sauce is a real good time. 😉
What cut of meat is best for carnitas?
The best cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder. It’s well-marbled with fat and cooks up rich and tender after a long, slow cooking time. You’ll find bone-in and boneless pork shoulder roasts at the grocery store, and both will work great for carnitas, but if you have the option, go with a boneless roast. The bone in the bone-in shoulder roast is Y-shaped and a little irritating to cut around, so if you can avoid it, all the better.
How long should you cook pork in a slow cooker?
Cook the pork for 3 to 4 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low. You’ll know the carnitas are ready when you can easily pull the meat apart with a couple of forks.
Can you freeze slow cooker carnitas?
Absolutely. Because the cut of meat you need for carnitas comes as a pretty large roast, even if you’re part of a small household, I still recommend making the full-size carnitas recipe rather than trying to cut it down because carnitas freeze really well. To Freeze: Freeze meal-sized batches with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid in freezer-safe storage bags for up to 3 months. To Reheat: When you’re ready for more carnitas, defrost in the refrigerator. Microwave until warm or spread on a baking sheet and bake, loosely covered with foil at 350°F until heated through (usually 10-15 minutes). Remove the foil and broil on high for just a minute or two until the edges are crisp.
You Might Also Enjoy
Country-style Pork Ribs Slow Cooker Tri-tip Sandwiches Slow Cooker Beef Ribs Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Recipe Tips
If you know your morning is going to be rushed, measure your spices and cut your meat the night before (especially if you have a bone-in roast as cutting can take a little while), so everything is ready to go in the morning.
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